1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for enabling a pet owner to bathe a quadruped animal that is a pet, such as a dog or a cat. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved small animal bathing apparatus having a portable enclosure of improved configuration that includes a front wall, a rear wall that is significantly taller than the front wall, having side walls and a floor with drain openings in the floor. Harnesses are fixed to the rear wall at a position above the top of the front wall. The walls can be collapsible upon one another for storage.
2. General Background of the Invention
Millions of pet owners fight a battle when it is time to bathe the pet dog or cat. For some reason, small animal pets such as cats and dogs are not happy when they are thrust before a garden hose, tub, scrub brush and/or soap that necessarily must be employed to cleanse them of soil, dirt, grime or other foreign matter that the accumulate.
Many patents have issued that are directed generally to the problem of cleaning a pet such as a cat or a dog. Some of these devices are designed to be placed inside of a common tub so that when the pet is cleaned, the rinse water can flow from the pet through the drain holes into the tub and then down a drain. Such an example of a pet bathing device that can be used inside of a common tub can be seen in the Hebert U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,433 entitled “Animal Washing Stand.” In the Hebert '433 patent, the animal bathing stand is adapted to be disposed within wash basins or the like to aid in the washing of an animal. The stand preferably comprises a generally planer, rigid central surface elevated from the bottom of the wash basin by foot structure which may be varied in length to fit individual application. A resilient pad is disposed over the supporting surface to provide secure footing for the animal to be washed. The pad preferably includes a peripheral skirt for adapting the stand for use in wash basins of varying dimensions. Perforations provided within the skirt aid in draining. Lease structure provided in the preferred form of a washing stand may be variably coupled between the supporting stand and the animal to facilitate the use of the invention with animals of different height.
The Benavides Des. 329,106 discloses a box for washing dogs.
A small animal washing container is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,601.
The Laliberte U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,453 discloses a small animal washing device that includes a dome enclosure. Apertures are provided in the dome to receive a pair of glove inserts in various locations for conveniently washing an animal within the dome.
A cat restrainer is discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,196. The '196 patent is directed to a restrainer harness apparatus designed primarily to function as a cat bather.
The McLaughlin U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,339 discloses a container for treating animals.
The Seymour U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,814 discloses an animal restraining device that could be used during bathing.
A pet bathing apparatus is shown in the Murphy U.S. Pat. No. 6,553,943.
The above referenced patents suffer in that they do not allow easy access to the animal during bathing notwithstanding the size of the animal while providing a portable and collapsible device that can be placed inside of a common tub and which drains continuously during bathing.